Meeting Tok Guru Nik Aziz in Mekah - 15.02.2013

No bodyguard, no special treatment.
He spent the 45 minutes talking about Islam, and our responsibilities as a Muslim.
photo credit : Rusdi Abu Bakar

Looking tired, but his mind was sharp,
and his teachings about Islam was effective.

Tok Guru Nik Aziz entered the room where we were waiting, quietly. No grand entrance, except for a soft voice of  "Ässalamualaikum." We were indeed lucky to have been given an opportunity to meet him during his Umrah trip and short stay in Mekah.

He looked frail. He walked in with a walking stick and sat slumped in the chair. I felt sad watching him in that condition. The man has gone through a lot - all in the name of upholding Islam as the Ad-Deen of Ummah. His political nemesis have verbally abused him, calling him names and throwing wild accusations. They are blind indeed. This man has given his life for Islam. He lives in an old house, and his waking time is devoted to spread the teaching of Islam. The majority of Kelantanese loves him - both for his political struggles and more importantly for his devotion and selflessly sharing of his religious knowledge.

Today was the second time I was in the audience of Tok Guru Nik Aziz. The first time was in 2000 when by pure luck, I was in the congregation for Jumaat prayer at the Kok Lanas Mosque, and Tok Guru was there delivering the Khutbah and to lead the prayer. 

I made the trip to Mekah today after being informed that Tok Guru was there for his Umrah, and by special arrangement, he has agreed to meet Malaysian students in Mekah and a few others. 

Tok Guru spoke softly. He started by reminding us that we are in Mekah and how special that is. We should make full use of every opportunity to perform Ibadah, doá for Allah's blessings and to seek His forgiveness. He related one part of Sirah of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), emphasizing the struggles that Rasullullah (pbuh) had to go through during the early years of Islam. 

Tok Guru Nik Aziz continued, providing many examples and evidences that Islam is the Truth, and that there is Eternal Life after Death. He reminded us of our duty to spread the teaching of Islam and gave an example of his conversation with a Chinese man in Kota Baru.

"My fore-father is Adam...It says so in the Qurán. Do you know yours?" He asked the Chinese man. 

The man was silent. 

"Until you find out who your fore-father is...can I suggest that you accept Adam as the one, the origin of all man-kind?"He rationalized. 

The man was silent.  

"Maybe...you and I are distant cousins...because all man originated from Adam and Eve..."He closed his case. 

The man, nodded. "That make sense...maybe...you are right..."

He spent the time with us this afternoon sharing and reminding us - as Muslims it is our responsibility to uphold Islam by creating an Islamic environment, at individual level, family, community, state, country, and world level.

He said, and I interpreted:

"If you go to a maternity ward in any hospital, you can't tell from a baby's cry whether the baby is  a Malay, Chinese or Indian. You can't tell whether the parents of the baby are Muslim or not. However, the environment in which the baby grow up will shape him or her...as a human being. If you adopt a non Muslim baby and raise a baby as a Muslim, in a Muslim home, he or she will grow up to be a Muslim. Therefore, it is our duty to create and spread an Islamic environment! That is what PAS has done in Kelantan for the last two decades and more."

Tok Guru reminded us that money and wealth are only good while we are healthy. Once we are ill, old, or die, then all the wealth are useless unless they have been put to good use in the name of Allah.

"Have we not learned anything from what have happened in Iraq, Mesir, Libya and now Syria?" He asked."Their leaders were all very rich. But the leader (of Iraq and Libya) was ousted in a humiliating way, and took nothing with them to the grave. Their life as leaders were wasted because they did not used the opportunity to look after the welfare of their citizens, and did not discharge their duty as leaders for the Muslims....they did not uphold Islam as the Ad-Deen!" 

He covered a few more topics, and gave many more examples. His anecdotes and analogies were simple to understand. His voice was passionate. He glorified Islam and he glorified Allah and the prophet (pbuh). I was sad when the meeting ended. The sight of him being pushed in a wheel chair to go for his Maghrib prayer at the Mesjidil Haram reminded me of how time and selflessness devotion to the cause of establishing an Islamic state have taken toll on his health. He has done a lot for the people of Kelantan. In the face of opposition from the federal government which has the power and using all of its machinery to discredit the effort of Tok Guru and his team, a lot more has to be done.

Kelantan has been lucky to have Tok Guru as a leader for the last 23 years. I pray that Allah gives him health so that he can continue to lead Kelantan for many more years to come.

The short meeting strengthened my resolution to only vote for a candidate who upholds the principles and the teachings of Islam. 

He reminded us at the end of the session, that Al Fatihah is the only surah where we say, 'Amin' at the end. We seek Allah's acceptance for our doá to be shown the right path, the path of those whom He has favored.

 In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

 Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds,
The Beneficent, the Merciful.
Master of the Day of Judgment,
Thee (alone) we worship; Thee (alone) we ask for help.
Show us the straight path,
The path of those whom Thou hast favoured; Not the (path) of those who earn Thine anger nor of those who go astray.

---Aminnn---.